This post is sponsored by the makers of Clorox® Disinfecting Wipes, the quick and easy way to clean and disinfect your home!
I get a lot of emails asking about my cleaning schedule after I wrote about my typical day on Joanna’s blog. I truly do not love cleaning, but I know that I’m so much happier with life when my house is clean. Don’t you feel the same way?
A couple years ago, right after I had Claire and when Gracie was old enough to really start doing some damage, I was feeling like I would never have a clean house again. (I also thought there was a good chance I would never get to sleep through the night again. :) good times) I was picking up the house all week long it felt like, and then I would do all my laundry and deep cleaning on the weekends. That meant my Saturday was completely gone and that the house was totally dirty again by Monday morning. Stresses me out just thinking about it.
Then one time I was visiting a friend’s house who had three rambunctious toddler boys. I walked into her house for the first time and my jaw dropped. Her house was CLEAN. Like, I’m not talking about tidy – tidy is not always possible during the day with kids, but it was clean. She is one of those amazing mothers who is really active with her kids, so I knew she didn’t spend all day neglecting her boys to clean the house. I was surprised and a little jealous of her sparkly floors so I begged her to share her secret. She laughed and said she kept a chore chart, which I thought was hilarious! What grown woman has a chore chart?! Suddenly I had to have one!
I copied her chart and have been using a slightly tweaked version ever since. I can’t say that I’m always following through here, but when I do, my house is practically spotless and best of all, I don’t feel like I am cleaning all the time – which honestly was the hardest part for me of being a stay at home mom in the early years.
It looks like a lot, but I think even on the most intense days I’m only spending 30 or 40 minutes in aggregate cleaning (though we live in a 1500 sq ft apartment, so your home might require a little more time). I’ve listed the chart here below, and here’s a simple printable version.
So the basic idea is this: there are daily chores – easy things you should take care of almost habitually in the morning and in the night, and then there is a single special chore of the day. Most of these chores end up getting done once a week (for example, every Monday I do a deep vacuuming of all our rugs. I took only one interior design class in college and I only remember a handful of things from that class. One of them was a tangential comment my professor made about vacuuming. She said that you should go over the same area on a rug SEVEN times super slowly to get it clean. Isn’t that just nuts? I don’t do that, but I do try to do a slow vacuuming on Mondays.). Friday though is the swing day, where you rotate in chores that need to be done less frequently, like scrubbing the microwave.
I’ll walk you through today’s cleaning schedule. It’s Tuesday. I wake up and make our bed. It won’t get done unless I make it as soon as I get up. The girls are getting good about making their beds too. After I finish getting ready I wipe down the bathroom counters and the sink. While I’m making the kids breakfast I empty out the dishwasher.
Then life happens and the house sort of falls apart during the day.
Then at night the girls help me clear the table and load the dishwasher. Michael does the trashes. Once the kids are in bed I quickly sweep or vacuum the kitchen and dining room and I might pop into the living room too. I keep a wet rag with me and as I go I’ll spot clean the floor. My goal is fast and furious cleaning!
And here’s where my baskets come into play. I keep them everywhere. I really love this basket that I posted about yesterday because it is super sturdy and holds its shape. I zip through my house every night with this basket, throwing in every misplaced item, then going back to each room once and put the things back where they belong. It takes me just a few minutes to pick up a day’s worth of clutter this way. No more running back and forth and back and forth from room to room putting things away. Try the basket method – you’ll never go back!
Plus – another bonus of having your pretty baskets out in every room? If you have a friend coming over right away, you can just corral everything in the basket super fast and no one’s the wiser.
Once the house has been de-cluttered, I do my chore of the day (today was cleaning the mirrors and windows), and then I’m done! It might sound like a lot, but I promise it isn’t. When I’m consistent with this schedule, I never have to do one of those marathon cleaning days to get back to ground zero. The house never has a chance to get really dirty, so the cleaning never feels like a true chore. It feels easy and, dare I say it? Pleasant?
So that’s my approach to cleaning in a nutshell. I know we all have our special tricks, and I’d LOVE to hear yours!
Today’s super-sized give away is $350 to Target AND $150 to the Container Store and all you have to do to enter is leave a comment sharing your favorite cleaning or organization tip. I can’t wait to see what you guys do to keep your spaces sparkling! Any other crazies out there with a chore chart? :)
Contest ends March 22. Winner will be announced on the 23rd. Contest rules can be read in full here. Good luck!!
I love your job chart! I just had a baby in December and was back to work in January and I'm finding there is NO TIME for cleaning! It drives me crazy! I'd love to rely on my awesome husband, but the man doesn't have a clue… and we have two different view on what's clean so I finally made our little family a job chart but I'll have to tweak mine since I liked your so much! Thanks for the ideas!!!!
Oh, how I still wished I lived in a 1500 sq.ft. house. =P
But I now live in 4200 sq.ft. Thank goodness my children are old enough to help out, otherwise I would loose my mind. I have to do laundry everyday, I try to do 2 loads in the mornings. I also sweep the kitchen every night, wipe the counter and my son does the dishes. Then I walk around the house (I use the basket method too) to pick up anything out of place. I deep vacuum on saturday morning, the entire house. And on the weekdays, I clean like rooms. Example: Tuesdays, bathrooms. Wednesdays, bedrooms. Thursdays, dinning room/living room. ect. That way at least a few rooms are spick and span every day!
While my 4 year old is in the bath (I don't like to leave her alone in the bath) that's my time to clean the bathroom. I also have clorox wipes hidden everywhere for quick clean ups for when I notice dirt, dust and grime!!!!
My favorite cleaning tip would be making the bed first thing in the morning- it's so much more relaxing to walk into a room with a bed already made (hence why I love hotels so much…). For organizing, I would have to say storing off-season clothes in bins under the bed. It frees up space in my dresser & closet and it's so fun to pull them out once the weather changes.
http://www.normaltownlove.blogspot.com
We use vinegar on our hardwood floors and I like to use dish soap to clean the windows-leaves them streak free everytime!
We use vinegar on our hardwood floors and I like to use dish soap to clean the windows-leaves them streak free everytime!
I still have a long way to go to feel organized with 5 little ones but finally realizing that I don't have to do and clean everything for them has opened up so much more of my time. And they seem to really like feeling capable by taking on their own chores and helping out.
I am trying hard to do a load of laundry at least every other day. That and staying on top of all the paper in my office on a daily basis really makes my life easier.
I have a similar cleaning schedule. With 5 kids I find cleaning time is scarce. But I set everyday chores for before and after breakfast, before and after dinner and incorporate finance time, meal planning time etc during the week
I love to using vinegar and dish soap mixed to clean my showers and tubs. Super easy and cleans really well
Ever since I was 9, I've sworn by the "15 minute miracle." That's only 15 minutes every day completely devoted to tidying and cleaning. Every once in a while an extra work day for deeper cleaning comes along, but mostly it keeps my home cozy and clean.
i'm terrible about routines, my husband and i are super busy during the week and so we do a speed cleaning on saturdays. the only religious daily habits i have are making our bed in the AM and to throughly pick up all the random things in the LR/Kitchen every night and load up the dishwasher. this chart looks so manageable though!
Your chore chart looks like something I would've come up with after reading Getting Things Done! I sort the mail as soon as I pull it out of the box, and most of it goes straight into the recycle bin and never makes it into the house.
Leave a basket at the bottom of the stairs. When full, get the kiddos to take it upstairs and put the contents away! No more up and down, up and down those stairs!
I subscribe to JDC monthly & use the printable calendars & lists to map out a cleaning schedule. Keeping it cute & seasonal helps. My non-negotiable is to wash sheets & towels every Friday. My husband & I also keep a shared honey-do list with Simplenote.
http://jonesdesigncompany.com/jones-design-company-monthly-printables/
I do laundry all in one day and put clothes away as soon as they come out of the dryer. That way, it doesn't become a monster task to do at themed of the day :-)
My best organizing tip: keep the children's socks in a container by the back door. Who wants to run to the kids room to grab socks every time we go out? Not me :-)
I keep a paste of baking soda and water mixed in a tupperware in my fridge. It spot cleans everything from crayon on the wall to the kitchen sink. I love it and it's chemical free.
I don't have a chart (although maybe I should try it out…), but I tidy up every night – it actually helps me wind down from the day and helps start every morning without piles everywhere!
I am trying really hard to think of a cleaning tip to share… but I really might not have any! Quite frankly, I need all the tips I can get!
catmolson (at) gmail (dot) com
I started "resetting" my house every night–doing a quick clean-up of the kitchen, living room, and bathroom, and every morning i wipe the bathroom counters, through used towels and washcloths into the hamper, and make sure the dishwasher is loaded. I guess this means that my house is the tidiest when I'm sleeping or at work!
I use baking soda and vinegar on EVERYTHING. It keeps my sinks sparkly, cleans drains, and fizzes away mildew in my shower. I love it. Plus, it's all natural.
The best thing I ever did for my cleaning process (and sanity) was to start using a 50/50 water/white vinegar mix in a spray bottle for any and all surfaces (mirrors, counters, floors, whatever). Not having to corral an entire arsenal of cleaning products has definitely made the idea of cleaning less intimidating.
Love the idea of a chore chart! I'm envious of your dedication, I'm not sure I have that much discipline!
I try to constantly pick up after myself (and my husband) so small messes don't accumulate into large ones. A great cleaning product I love bar keepers friend for all of stainless steel!
My favorite cleaning helper is baking soda. I can use it in all areas of the house and not feel bad about any chemical residue left behind.
I try to do little things every night — I think you're totally right about doing a little bit every day. A load of laundry, a dusted room… it all helps! I do love a clean house.
Thank you so much for the giveaway! :)
I keep a plastic shoe pocket organizer hanging on the back of the front closet door. In the winter, we use it to keep our mittens, scarves, hats sorted…in the summer, it holds sunglasses, sunscreen, pool toys, etc. It makes grabbing those last minute things easy, and putting them away easy as well – and all I have to do to hide it is close the closet door.
My favorite cleaning tip is to turn on some music to make the time more enjoyable!
As simple as this sounds I WAS notorious for folding all the laundry and leaving it in the laundry baskets for about a week….creating way more of a mess trying to find an outfit for everyone. I now fold AND put away immediately and therefore my house is staying clutter free and organized and it feels so good!
Making the bed first thing – it sets the tone for the day. I feel much more together that way.
My husband and I live in a tiny apartment. (The kind of tiny that means you can't fall onto the floor in the kitchen because you'll hit the fridge, or oven, or sink first). Consequently, I've found that having specific places to put things has been super helpful, especially the magazines and mail and newspapers that find their way into our apartment on a daily basis. It takes a little thought to find logical places for everything, but once we did it made a world of difference.
My husband cooks dinner, and my job is to do the dishes. I try to clean a few as he's cooking so that there is less to do after we eat and I can spend a little more time with him relaxing. :)
I do the basket thing too each night – totally helps with the clutter. I also do a little load of laundry each morning, and it's folded and put away by noon. That way I don't have to dedicate a whole day to laundry. I've been trying to establish a good cleaning routine and this one's great – thanks!
amy d.
I like to tackle a chore each evening, so I am not stuck doing a deep clean each weekend!
Your system seems pretty efficient. I might have to try it!
I have a rule of doing dishes after every meal. When I leave them in the sink too long they seem to pile up and drive me crazy!
I tried doing laundry everyday & it just ended up piled up in my living room – it never got folded or put away. So once a week, I'll keep the laundry room running all day long. When each load is done, it ends up in a basket (in the living room again), but that evening I'll watch TV for a few hours & fold/put away. I know that sounds like a huge task, but it's what works for me!
I keep leftovers and whatever I can in ziplock bags. That way when I clean out the fridge, any bad food items can go straight into the trash. This prevents me from cleaning multiple Tupperware containers.
We created a recycling station in our kitchen to get rid of anything piling up around the sink. It makes cleaning up after cooking a lot faster!
We had a chore chart growing up! I hated Wednesdays….bathroom cleaning :S Great giveaway!
I love organizing more than cleaning, and am lucky to have roommates who all help out. We follow the rule of cleaning when we recognize that something needs it, and everyone pulls their weight (although I've lived with others where a chore chart was necessary). One cleaning tip I use is that l wipe down the shower while im in there. For organization: I bought a set of retro kitchen canisters that I keep in my bedroom. One is for belts, one for tights, another for knick knacks, it's great just to throw things in there and not have to look at the clutter.
The key thing for me is having the right storage. For too long I was using an old dresser that I refinished. Finally I invested in some storage from IKEA and a series of big plastic bins for larger things that didn't need to be as accessible. Your wallet takes a hit if you do it all at once, but if you make a 'wanted' list and slowly chip away at it, you can make a big impact!
The one thing I consistently do is not setting my mail down. I go through it right when I pull it out of the mailbox and all the trash and extra envelopes go directly into the recycling bin and the rest goes into bill paying, filing, or personal correspondence. It really controls my paper clutter.
I love the chore chart! I really needed something like that to help me keep up around the house. To stay on top of the laundry I do a load a day; and I have my kids and husband make sure their clothes and socks are not inside out it helps make folding faster.
My tip? Use your kids! I was shocked when my three year old did a pretty great job of wiping down the baseboards. Total ah-ha moment for me!
I'm happy when my floors are clean =) So I always make it a priority to vacuum my tile floors nightly. And I never go to bed with a messy home…I like waking up with a fresh start.
joellenzafacon at gmail dot com
I am usually pretty good at keeping up on my chores, but since I had baby number 2 four months ago I am always playing catch-up. Love your tips! I recently bought storage buckets so we can toss toys in them and hide the clutter.
I just started using the basket method as well, and it has changed my life. Seriously.
(This is an awesome giveaway, by the way!)
What a great post! I'm definitely going to be incorporating it into my life. I can be great for a few weeks and then I slip, things get messy and I have to do a mass cleaning. This makes so much sense. One thing I do do is do the dishes, no dirty dishes in the sink, before I go to bed.
My boyfriend and I clean together every Saturday morning. It is a ritual and we have grown to love it, as weird as that may seem :)
I have 7 month old twins and their laundry combined with ours is out of control. I try and do one load of ours a day except when we are out of burp cloths! Then that day, I put our laundry on hold and have a kid laundry day! I don't stop until it is all done. Keeping the two groups separate makes me feel a little more in control and not always playing catch up with both our piles of laundry.